This Dude Travelled From Scotland To India By Bartering Beer Cans For Food, Rides & Accommodation

We’ve all heard of clever travelers who have covered the length and breadth of the world without burning a hole in their pockets. From couch surfing to travel blogging, there are plenty of options that can let you travel on a budget. But travel blogger Manny Marshall had other plans. Cooler plans.

The pro hitchhiker travelled from Edinburgh to Delhi by bartering beer cans for rides and accommodation. After all, who can refuse a chilled can of beer?!

Covering around 5000 miles, he travelled through France, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, and then India. This was part of the challenge by Innis & Gunn, a brewing company in Edinburgh, who provided him 120 beer cans after he accepted the challenge. The company’s aim was to trace and recreate the route by which Indian Pale Ales were delivered from Scotland to India in the 18th and 19th century.

So set off Manny on his grand beer journey of 8 weeks, starting from Edinburgh. From hitching rides from strangers in exchange of beer to couch surfing with people across the countries, Manny had a rather ‘tipsy’ adventure.

''Many drivers just see a guy on the side of the road and they've got two seconds to make a judgment but there are some really generous and kind people out there. I've been hitchhiking for more than ten years and I kind of expect to meet amazing people all the time.'

Spreading cheer by hitchhiking with people and giving them beer in return—

Language may have been a barrier at times, but this trip showed me that beer is truly a universal tongue,' Marshall told MailOnline. In Goa, he hitched rides with a variety of people from a mother travelling with kids to judges and even convicts.